A  TREATISE  ON  ENSILAGE. 


Ensilage,  or  the  method  of  preserving  green  crops  in  pits  called  silos, 
which  was  first  made  a  practical  success  by  Augustk  Goffart  in  Prance  in 
1S73,  has  at  last  taken  such  root  in  this  country  that  there  is  inquiry  through- 
out the  land  for  information  upon  this  subject. 

The  enormous  increase  of  food  which  can  be  produced  from  the  stalks  of 
cereals,  with  all  their  juices  preserved,  whether  it  be  forty  tons  or  one  hundred 
tons  per  acre  over  the  one  to  two  tons  of  hay,  has  excited  all  intelligent  farmers 
to  a  greater  pitch  of  interest  than  anything  that  has  ever  before  been  presented 
to  them. .  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  will  become  a  permanent  method- 
The  pioneers  of  the  system  in  this  country  since  1876,  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  of 
Maryland,  and  Mr.  0.  B.  Potter,  of  Mew  York,  have  increased  the  capacity 
of  their  silos  year  by  year,  and  all  farmers  who  have  gone  into  it  through 
the  influence  of  my  first  publication  upon  the  subject  in  1878,  also  Mr.  G. 
W.  Mills,  of  Pompton,  N.  J.,  who  made  an  independent  discovery  in  1879, 
are  as  confident  and  pronounced  as  to  its  great  value  to  the  world,  as  any  of 
the  writers  are  who  have  been  accused  of  deriving  their  enthusiasm  from  the 
fact  that  they  have  something  to  sell. 

THE    CROP. 

Maize  is  probably  the  largest,  as  well  as  the  most  satisfactory  crop 
that  can  be  raised  for  the  purpose.  If  one  stalk  weighing  five  lbs.  can  be 
raised  on  each  square  foot  in  an  acre  of  land,  the  product  would  be  108  tons. 
Some  will  prefer  to  sow  broadcast,  counting  upon  the  shade  to  kill  the  weeds, 
whilst  others  will  plant  in  drills;  in  which  case,  by  making  them  twenty-eight 
inches  apart,  a  horse  can  walk  between  the  rows  with  plow  or  cultivator.  In 
some  soils  the  use  of  a  subsoil  or  corn  plow,  without  a  mold  board,  will  great- 
ly increase  the  size  of  the  stalks  over  that  which  can  be  obtained  by  a  culti- 
vator with  several  teeth. 

Some  say  that  by  planting  thickly  m  drills,  the  stalks  are  smaller  and 
more  tender,  but  it  is  the  general  impression  that  the  larger  and  better  devel- 
oped stalk,  when  full  of  juice,  makes  the  best  food.  The  best  method  where- 
by to  get  the  largest  crop  with  least  labor  is  to  make  two  drills  4  inches  apart 
with  spaces  of  28  inches,  cultivating  while  small  with  smoothing  harrow,  and 
after,  with  plow  or  cultivator  ;  the  grains  in  the  drills  to  be  4  to  the  foot.  In 
this  way  the  sun  and  air  strike  both  sides.  All  rowed  crops  should  be 
planted  north  and  south.  The  seed  which  is  grown  in  the  tropics  makes  a 
larger  growth  and  sweeter  stalk,  than  that  grown  from  seed  matured 
in  the  JSTorth.  Millet  also  makes  a  large  growth,  and  when  ensilaged  is 
a  very  attractive  food  for  cattle.  Clover,  which  can  be  cut  three  times  in  wet 
seasons,  cutting  at  its  first  bloom,  is  made  by  the  seasoning  effect  of  ensilage 
a  more  healthful  and   nutritive  food  than  when  fed  fresh  from  held;  it  should 


be  cut  before  it  has  died  at  the  bottom,  after  which  it  quickly  rots  on  the 
ground.  Rye  and  oats  and  wheat  in  many  seasons  are  more  valuable  to  a 
dairy  farmer  in  the  ensilaged  state  than  in  the  grain.  Six  or  seven  acres  of 
the  heaviest  can  be  put  into  a  silo,  20x12x16  feet,  containing  about  100  tons. 
These  crops  as  well  as  clover  can  be  removed  in  time  to  plant  maize.  We  find 
tbat  910  lbs  of  ensilaged  maize  is  equal  in  nutriment  to  a  barrel  of  corn  meal. 

Southern  Cow  Pea  makes  a  very  nutritious  fodder,  of  which  cattle 
and  horses  are  very  fond.  Horses  will  work  well  upon  it  when  ensilaged, 
without  any  grain.  It  grows  luxuriantly,  and  by  the  system  of  ensilage 
it  becomes  for  all  parts  of  the  country  a  valuable  product,  which  it  is 
not  practicable  to  cure  in  any  other  way.  Southern  planters  say  "  that  with 
ensilage  they  can  produce  cotton  at  4  cts.  lb.  less  cost  than  ever  before,  because 
it  has  cost  more  to  keep  a  mule  than  a  negro  in  these  sections  where  grass  does 
not  grow."  If  this  is  so,  the  saving  by  ensilage  in  making  6,000,000  bales  of 
cotton  would  be  more  than  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars.  The  necessity  of 
buying  the  seed  from  the  South  will  of  course  benefit  that  section  to  that  ex- 
tent also;  like  clover,  it  is  a  great  land  improver,  and  a  very  cheap  and  profit- 
able crop  for  fattening  hogs.  This  pea,  which  is  really  a  bean  or  lentil,  is  of 
value  for  shading  out  weeds.  It  is  an  excellent  crop  to  plow  under,  as  well  as 
to  feed  green  and  for  ensilage.  Planted  between  rows  of  potatoes,  it  prevents 
the  growth  of  weeds,  and  will  cover  the  whole  field  with  a  crop  of  vines,  shad- 
ing the  potatoes  from  sun-burn.  It  can  then  be  mowed  off  and  ensilaged,  or 
fed  green,  or  it  can  be  pulled  up,  and  the  cattle  will  eat  it  roots  and  all. 
The  seed  matured  makes  a  highly  nutritious  soup.  There  are  different  vari- 
eties, black,  clay,  white  and  black-eyed.  I  mention  it  here,  as  it  is  entirely 
unknown  to  many  farmers,  and  I  would  advise  them  to  investigate  it.  I 
shall  probably  publish  a  circular  on  the  subject  of  Crops  for  Eusilage. 

Mr.  Morris  and  Mr.  Potter  state  that  with  ensilaged  clover,  and  brew- 
ers' grains,  their  cattle  are  kept  in  much  better  condition  than  with  hay 
and  same  quantity  of  grains — and  by  careful  experiments,  they  find  that  the 
yield  <>f  milk  and  bucter  is  greater,  and  the  butter  is  improved  in  flavor  and 
color,  than  when  fed  in  the  dry  state.  The  great  saving  by  this  system,  is  in 
being  able  to  allow  the  maize  or  other  crop  to  reach  its  full  maturity  for 
this  purpose  ;  also  in  barn  room  and  insurance.  "  Mr.  Mills  states  that  500 
tons  of  ensilaged-maize  the  past  year  cost  him  $500,  that  it  has  taken  the 
place  of  300  tons  of  hay  that  would  have  cost  him  or  been  worth  $7,500,  and 
that  his  120  head  of  cattle  are  in  better  condition  than  they  would  have  been 
with  the  hay.'"  Perhaps  the  best  and  most  disinterested  testimony  as  to  the 
value  of  this  system  is  the  report  of  Prof.  Cook,  of  New  Jersey  Agricultural 
Experiment  station  ;  he  says:  "It  is  claimed  for  ensilage  that  it  makes  winter 
butter  equal  to  June  butter,  a  claim  willingly  admitted,  it  being  to  our  know- 
ledge of  unusually  fine  flavor  and  color.  Milch  cows  can  be  safely  fed  large 
quantities  of  this  fodder,  which  is  a  perfect  substitute  for  hay.  If  it  is  of  first 
class  quality,  eighty  pounds  per  day  will  furnish  an  animal  with  the  full  amount 
of  carbohydrates." 

The  corn-plant  is  in  perfect  condition  only  a  few  days  to  each  crop,  and 
it  is  exceedingly  important  to  cut  it  at  precisely  the  right  stage  of  growth. 


I  am  satisfied  that  the  carelessness  of  the  farming  community  on  this  head 
has  caused  a  great  deal  of  loss  to  themselves  and  to  the  people  whom  they 
feed.  The  perennial  grasses  have  but  little  sugar  and  can  be  fed  at  any  time, 
but  better  milk,  butter  and  cheese  can  be  made  when  they  are  young  and  juicv 
than  when  they  are  dried  ;  but  with  cereals,  which  are  annual,  there  is  another 
law,  viz.:  the  starch  which  largely  composes  these  is  insipid  until  it  has 
ripened  into  sugar,  by  means  of  or  at  the  time  of  tasseling  or  flowering.  This 
process  requires  air  and  sun.  Much  broadcast  corn  is  fed  while  unpalatable 
and  unhealthy,  both  to  the  animal  that  eats  it  and  the  human  animal  thateata. 
and  drinks  the  product  of  the  unripe  food. 

To  ensilage  the  green  food  before  giving  it  to  the  cattle,  and  thus  pre- 
pare it  for  digestion,  (instead  of  fermenting  it  in  their  bellies,)  is  both  hu- 
mane and  economical.  Dry  stalks  steamed  are  not  to  be  compared  to  this 
fodder,  because  the  nutritious  value  has  gone  into  the  grain.  The  error  that 
stood  so  many  years  in  the  path  of  Mons.  Goffart  was  the  idea  that  there 
I  must  be  a  partial  desiccation.  On  the  contrary,  all  drying  must  be  avoided. 
The  corn-plant  does  not  remain  full  of  juice  more  than  two  weeks  after  tas- 
selling,  and  wherever  fading  has  taken  place  the  air  has  already  entered  the 
cells  and  acetic  fermentation  has  commenced.  When  cut  in  that  condition 
the  ensilage  will  be  sour,  smell  like  a  tan-vat,  and  taste  like  pickles  preserved 
in  manufactured  vinegar.  The  longer  ensilage  remains  in  the  silo,  the  better 
it  becomes,  and  possibly  some  farmers  may  come  to  keeping  it  as  wine  is  kept, 
and  label  it  as  the  product  of  such  a  year,  and  that  a  very  small  quantity  of 
old  ensilage  will  go  a  great  way. 

I  have  changed  my  mind  also  about  transporting  it,  and  I  now  believe  that 
it  will  be  baled  and  shipped;  at  any  rate,  in  hogsheads  it  can  be  kept  a 
long  time. 

THE     SILO. 

Earth  Silos. — Where  the  soil  is  clay  or  not  too  sandy  and  where  it  can 
be  drained  the  cut  maize  can  be  packed  in  trenches.  A  good  proportion  for  a 
trench  is  five  and  a  half  feet  deep,  seven  and  a  half  feet  wide  at  bottom,  and  ele- 
ven feet  wide  at  top,  and  any  convenient  length.  This  with  oxen  or  horses  and 
a  scraper  can  be  very  cheaply  made.  At  this  slope  the  sides  remain  firm,  and 
at  this  width  the  earth  cover  does  not  arch.  The  bottom  of  the  trench  should  be 
floored  with  plank,  and  when  filling  it  standing  rye  straw  should  be  put  against 
the  sides,  which  will  allow  the  ensilage  to  pack  more  easily  ;  it  should  be  well 
rounded  on  top  and  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  straw  or  tarred  roofing  felt, 
and  on  that  about  two  feet  of  earth  piled.  In  packing  in  the  ensilage  it  is  well  to 
cover  with  boards  temporarily,  and  roll  with  heavy  roller  frequently  for 
several  days  during  shrinkage,  and  also  to  roll  the  earth  cover  until  it  no  longer 
settles  ;  and  it  should  be  protected  from  rain.  The  drains  outside  of  the 
trenches  should  be  so  deep  that  water  will  never  penetrate.  Mr.  Morris  has 
used  such  silos  in  addition  to  his  brick  silos  to  the  amount  of  many  hundred 
tons  for  the  past  five  years  with  excellent  profit.  His  land  is  clay  for  a  foot  or 
two,  and  a  kind  of  rotten  rock  beneath. 


WOOD  SILOS. 

There  is  no  difficulty  about  making  wood  silos;  they  require  however, 
more  compression  to  prevent  air  from  entering  through  the  joints.  The  bays 
in  the  barn  can  be  boarded  up  and  down  with  matched  flooring.  The  moist 
ensilage  will  keep  the  joints  tight  and  it  will  keep  well.  The  cover  must  be 
loose,  and  weighted  so  as  to  make  a  continuous  pressure.  But  this  silo  requires 
an  elevation  of  the  cut  f  odder,and  should  the  barn  burn  the  winter  supply  is  lost. 
Wherever  it  is  possible,  the  cellar  under  the  barn  should  be  utilized  if  the  barn 
be  large  enough  to  serve  for  a  cover,  and  for  the  working  place  for  cutting 
the  fodder.  In  the  Southern  States  last  year  wood  silos  were  built  in  the 
fields  with  double  thickness  of  boards  and  a  coat  of  tar  between.  The  weight 
used  was  cord  wood,  which  becomes  more  valuable  as  it  dries.  The  Southern 
ladies  appreciate  this  dry  wood,  and  approve  of  ensilage.  These  silos  have 
doors  through  which  the  ensilage  is  excavated  from  below. 

At  Mt.  Holly,  X.  J.,  there  is  a  silo  19  feet  long,  1(H  feet  Avide,  and  8  feet 
deep,  made  with  8  inch  brick  wall,  the  sides  and  bottom  cemented,  with  bat| 
ten  roof,  capacity  40  tons,  cost  $79.22. 

CONCRETE   AND    MASONRY   SILOS. 

The  best  silos  are  built  specially  of  masonry  <>r  concrete. 
For  a  silo  twelve  feet  by  twenty  feet  (or  longer)  and  fourteen  feet  deep, 
which  would  hold  seventy-two  tons,  or  sufficient  for  ten  cows  six  months  with 
full  rations,  the  concrete  walls  should  be  fourteen  inches  thick  at  the  bottom 
and  ten  inches  thick  at  the  top  of  the  side  walls,  with  the  bevel  on  the  outside 
of  the  Avail,  and  the  end  Avails  tAvelve  inches  thick  top  and  bottom,  the  inside 
being  perpendicular  and  smooth,  so  that  the  plank  covering  may  settle  AA-ith 
the  ensilage.  The  concrete  Avail  is  stronger  than  an  ordinary  stone  wall, 
and  for  this  short  silo,  fourteen  inches  at  bottom  is  thick  enough.  It  is  not 
best  to  go  any  deeper  in  the  earth  than  can  be  Avell  drained,  and  a  trench 
should  be  cut  on  the  outside  of  the  Avail,  six  to  ten  inches  deep,  all  around,  to 
carry  off  all  Avater  that  may  reach  this  depth.  If  the  land  around  the  silos  is 
nearly  level,  it  is  best  to  go  only  so  deep  that  the  bottom  of  the  Avail  will  be 
below  frost. 

Having  exeaArated  the  earth  as  deep  as  the  Avail  is  to  go,  fifteen  feet  wide 
and  tAventy-three  feet  long,  then  set  standards  for  the  boxes  in  which  to  form 
the  concrete  Avails.  It  will  require  twenty  standards  three  by  six  inches,  fifteen 
feet  long  (if  the  Avails  are  to  be  fourteen  feet  high),  of  straight  grained  timber. 
Those  standards  intended  for  the  inside  of  the  Avail  should  be  straight 
on  one  edge,  so  that  the  Avail  may  be  made  straight  and  plumb  on  the 
inside.  There  will  be  three  standards  upon  each  long  side — one  at  each 
corner  and  one  in  the  middle.  The  other  edges  of  these  inside  standards  will 
be  eleven  feet  nine  inches  apart,  and  as  the  boxing  plank  are  one  and  a  half, 
inches  thick,  this  will  bring  the  Avails  just  twelve  feet  apart.  The  outside 
standards  will  be  opposite  the  inside  ones,  and  just  three  inches  farther  apart 

Notk.  —The  direction  as  to  concrete  walls  is  from  E.  AV.  Stewart,  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 


than  the  wall  is  thick,  so  that  when  the  plank  are  placed  inside  it  forms  a  box 
fourteen  inches  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  the  bevel  or  slant  on  the  outside  of 
the  wall  is  made  by  bringing  the  outside  standard  four  inches  nearer  the  inside 
standard  at  the  top.  The  end  standards  will  be  parallel  with  each  other,  and 
fifteen  inches  apart.  These  standards  are  held  together  by  nailing  a  lath 
under  the  bottom  ends  and  a  bracket  across  the  top  ends,  holding  the  side  stand- 
ards seventeen  inches  apart  at  the  bottom  and  thirteen  inches  at  top.  When 
the  standards  are  set  up,  aud  the  inside  standard  plumbed  very  carefully,  and 
both  stay-lathed  to  hold  them  firmly  in  position,  and  the  standards  placed  all 
around  the  proposed  silo,  it  is  all  ready  for  fitting  in  the  boxing  plank. 
These  boxing  plank  should  be  straight-grained  hemlock  or  pine,  fourteen 
inches  wide,  one  and  a  half  inches  thick,  and  maybe  the  whole  length  of  each 
side  and  end,  or,  if  more  convenient,  the  sides  may  be  two  planks  long, 
and  the  outside  end  plank  will  require  to  be  fourteen  and  a  half  feet  long; 
they  may  run  past  the  ends  of  the  side  planks.  The  outside  of  the  ends 
must  be  plumb,  so  that  the  outside  plank  of  the  long  sides  can  be  raised,  but 
the  end  walls  being  shorter,  twelve  inches  thick  is  enough  of  strength,  and  has 
the  same  material  per  foot  of  surface.  When  these  boxing  planks  are  placed, 
there  will  be  a  continuous  box,  fourteen  inches  wide  on  the  sides  and  twelve 
inches  on  the  ends  around  the  silo. 

Water  lime  concrete  is  the  only  concrete  suitable  for  silos,  as  it  requires 
strong,  air-tight,  smooth  walls  that  will  stand  moisture  to  some  extent. 
This  kind  of  wall  is  easily  made  air-tight,  and  is  built  cheaper  than  an  ordin- 
ary stone  wall.  It  is  only  necessary  to  use  water  lime  or  cement  enough  to 
completely  coat  the  particles  of  sand,  so  as  to  cement  them  together,  and  this 
becomes  a  cement  to  fill  in  spaces  among  large  gravel  or  between  stones.  The 
cement  is  made  by  mixing  one  part  of  water  lime  with  four  of  fine  sand, 
while  dry,  so  that  the  lime  and  sand  can  be  evenly  mixed.  Then  work  it  into 
mortar,  and  if  you  have  coarse  gravel  and  no  stone  you  may  put  in  five  or  six 
parts  of  gravel.  The  gravel  is  best  mixed  in  the  mortar  bed,  but  it  must  be 
used  at  once,  as  such  mortar  sets  in  a  few  minutes  after  wetting.  But  if  you 
have  rough  stones  of  any  kind,  either  cobble  or  flat,  they  can  be  worked  into 
the  wall  to  good  advantage,  and  save  cement.  When  stones  are  to  be  worked 
in,  put  one  or  two  inches  of  thin  mortar  in  the  wall  box,  then  bed  into  this 
mortar  a  layer  of  stones,  keeping  them  back  a  half  inch  from  the  boxing 
plank,  so  that  the  cement  may  be  tamped  all  around  the  stone,  leaving  a 
smooth  surface  on  both  sides  of  the  wall.  This  cement  is  a  poorer  con- 
ductor of  heat,  cold  and  moisture  than  stone.  A  properly  built  concrete 
wall  never  shows  frost  on  the  inside.  In  many  parts  of  the  country,  thin, 
flat,  irregular  stones  are  found  in  abundance,  and  these  are  well  adapted 
for  concrete  walls,  requiring  only  a  thin  layer  of  mortar  between  them,  and 
the  walls  becomes  solid  in  a  few  days.  But  it  is  better  not  to  bring  these 
flat  stones  quite  to  the  boxing  plank,  but  let  the  concrete  come  over  their 
•edges  so  as  to  form  a  smooth  surface. 

When  the  concrete  wall  is  laid  with  stone,  sand  and  lime,  as  stated,  so 
large  a  proportion  of  stone  may  be  worked  in  that  the  water  lime  will  be   only 


one-tenth  of  the  wall,  and  also  when  the  wall  is  made  of  sand  and  coarse  gravel; 
so  that,  to  find  the  amount  of  water  lime  required,  count  one  barrel  to  forty  cu- 
bic feet  of  Avail  to  be  built.  If  water  lime  is  very  expensive,  and  you  have  flat 
stones,  no  matter  how  irregular,  you  may  use  quicklime  after  you  get  one  foot 
above  where  the  earth  will  come  against  the  wall.  One  of  quicklime  to  five 
of  sand  will  make  an  excellent  mortar  in  which  to  lay  these  stones,  doing  the 
work  in  all  respects  as  above  stated.  The  concrete  should  be  well  tamped  into 
the  boxes,  filling  all  crevices  between  the  stones,  and  solid  against  the  planks. 
Water  lime  will  set  hard  enough  so  that  these  boxing  planks  can  be  raised 
twelve  inches  every  day.  That  is,  if  you  fill  the  box  all  around  the  silo  in  one 
day,  the  next  morning  you  may  raise  the  boxing  planks  where  you  began  the 
day  before  ;  and  as  you  fill,  raise  section  after  section  of  planks  till  you  get 
around  again.  This  may  be  repeated  each  day  till  the  wall  is  completed  provided 
the  mortar  sets  in  the  usual  time.  But  quicklime,  if  used,  sets  slower, 
and  will  take  two  or  three  days  to  become  strong  enough  to  raise  the  plank. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  planks  are  to  be  fourteen  inches  wide,  but  are  raised 
only  twelve  inches,  which  leaves  a  lap  of  two  inches  on  the  wall  below,  keeping 
the  sides  of  the  wall  smooth  and  even.  The  proposed  silo  will  have  952 
cubic  feet  in  it,  and  requires  twenty-two  barrels  of  water  lime,  of  the  Akron  or 
Rosendale  brand.  This  lime  in  many  places  will  cost  from  one  dollar  to  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter  per  barrel,  or  twenty-two  dollars  to  twenty-seven  dollars 
total.  The  only  other  cost  of  the  wall  is  the  labor,  which  can  be  done  by 
common  laborers.  The  standards  can  be  set  by  any  one  who  can  use  a 
level  and  plumb.  When  the  walls  are  completed,  take  a  seasoned  board  as 
wide  as  the  wall  is  thick,  tar  one  side,  and  turn  the  tarred  side  down  upon  the 
wall.  This  will  prevent  the  moisture  from  rotting  the  plate  rim  placed  on 
top  of  the  wall. 

The  roof  placed  over  the  silo  must  be  elevated  some  three  feet  above  the 
plates  so  as  to  give  head-room  for  filling  the  silo  full.  This  may  be  done  by 
framing  short  posts  into  the  timber  on  top  of  the  wall,  and  placing  light  plates 
on  these,  upon  which  the  roof  is  to  rest.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  silo  can 
be  built,  by  many  farmers,  with  only  a  small  expenditure  for  water  lime, 
shingles  and  nails,  all  the  rest  of  the  materials  being  from  their  own  farms. 
The  bottom  of  the  silo  is  usually  cemented,  to  prevent   ingress  of  moisture. 

A  wall  of  the  thickness  of  two  feet  of  stone,  or  sixteen  inches  of  brick 
will  make  an  excellent  silo.  The  bottom  should  be  of  broken  stone  and 
cement,  and  the  sides  should  be  very  carefully  smoothed.  Doors  can  be  safely 
inserted  if  convenient.  The  silos  of  Mr.  Mills  are  each  forty  feet  long  by 
thirteen  feet  wide,  and  twenty  feet  deep,  substantial  stone  structures,  and  cost 
$700  for  the  two.  In  another  case,  where  the  work  was  very  carefully  planned 
and  closely  watched,  the  same  space  was  obtained  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $500. 

The  drainage  so  as  to  avoid  inflow  of  water  is  very  important,  as  the 
slightest  inroad  of  water  Avill  cause  the  mass  to  mould  as  far  as  it  pene- 
trates. The  contents  of  a  silo  will  be  about  fifty  pounds  of  compact  ensilage 
to  the  cubic  foot.  In  the  prairies  the  natural  ravines  with  stone  bluffs  will 
serve  with  little  expense  for  silos,  and  the  cattle  can  be  carried  over  droughts 


and  winter  seasons.  In  Texas  the  loss  by  the  cattle  each  winter  of  the  weight 
gained  in  summer,  and  the  tremendous  loss  by  starvation  incident  to  such 
winters  as  that  of  188C-1,  can  be  entirely  prevented  by  ensilage. 

The  cover  of  the  silo  should  be  laid  directly  upon  the  ensilage  without 
any  straw  between,  and  care  should  be  taken  that  the  pressure  should  be 
uniform.  Make  the  cover  of  two-inch  plank,  matched  and  battened  in 
sections  of  three  feet,  the  battens  put  on  with  screws  and  projecting,  which 
will  keep  them  level.  The  ensilage  will  settle  about  one  quarter,  and  if 
the  walls  are  smooth  and  free  from  any  projections  it  will  not  require  any 
trampling.  The  less  trampling  the  better,  for  when  the  juice  is  out,  the 
air  enters.  For  this  reason  it  is  important  to  cut  the  maize  when  in  full 
juice,  while  the  pollen  is  falling  from  the  tassel.  The  screws  and  levers  sug- 
gested by  some  inexperienced  people  are  entirely  unnecessary.  The  pressure 
should  be  constant  rather  than  powerful. 

In  some  cases  ensilage  should  be  piled  in  curbs  above  the  silo,  about  one- 
third  the  depth  of  the  silo  ;  these  sides  should  be  firm,  but  movable  ;  the  cut 
fodder  should  be  levelled  with  care,  aud  the  cover  adjusted  ;  so  that  it  will  be 
sure  to  press  with  uniformity,  continuously,  and  not  leave  any  garrets  under 
it  for  the  air  to  lodge  in.  Upon  this  cover  will  be  found  a  convenient  place  for 
piling  sacks  of  grain  meal,  as  there  will  not  be  steam  enough  to  stain  the  sacks,  or 
posts  or  beams  will  answer.  It  was  formerly  considered  necessary  to  use  great 
pressure  in  order  to  squeeze  out  all  the  air  contained  in  the  cut  fodder,  (about 
one  hundred  pounds  pressure  to  square  foot),  but  it  has  been  found  by  ex- 
perience that  when  cut  three-eighths  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long  and  in 
full  juice,  the  shrinkage  of  the  fodder  compacts  it  sufficiently  close  with 
out  any  great  weight  beside  weight  of  cover.  If  the  crop  has  dried  so  as  to 
show  pith,  the  air  has  already  entered  its  cells,  and  it  would  be  well  to  in- 
crease the  weight. 

It  is  probable  that  the  practice  will  become  more  general  of  covering  with 
earth  instead  of  any  other  cover.  This  has  the  advantage  of  avoiding  aU 
unevenness,  but  it  requires  some  watching  for  cracks.  The  earth  will  cake 
so  that  it  can  be  removed  without  trouble  and  thrown  in  the  manure 
heap.  The  length  of  pieces  is  more  profitable  at  three-eights  of  an  inch 
especially  with  a  cutter  that  does  not  require  great  power  to  drive  it,  as  i8 
unfortunately  the  case  with  all  cutters  made  upon  the  small  cylinder 
American  principle,  but  when  in  haste  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  cut  as  long 
as  three-fourths  inch,  and  thereby  cut  twice  as  fast,  and  the  ensilage  will 
keep  as  well,  but  should  have  a  little  more  pressure. 

The  earth  taken  from  the  excavated  silo  will  often  serve  to  raise  the 
platform  upon  which  the  cutter  is  to  stand,  and  at  the  same  time  be  on  level 
with  the  wagon  load.  The  cut  fodder  can  be  easily  carried  by  elevator  or  car- 
rier to  a  movable  shute,  which  is  better  than  to  drop  it  all  in  one  place.  (It  is 
best  to  locate  the  cutter  so  that  the  cut  fodder  will  fall  into  the  silo  without 
an  elevator.) 

In  unloading,  the  stalks  can  be  rolled  direct  from  the  wagon  or  cart 
to  the  cutter  platform  on  two  ropes  with  a  windlass.  Place  the  ropes  length- 
wise in  bottom  of  the  wagon  with  their  forward  ends  joined  in  a  ring,  and 
the  rear  ends  provided  with  a  ring  in  each.     Two  hooks  to  be  screwed  into 


the  edge  of  platform  across  which  stalks  are  to  lie.  The  wagon  being  backed 
to  the  door,  the  front  ring  is  attached  to  the  pulley  rope,  and  the  rings  con- 
nected with  the  hooks  in  platform,  and  by  means  of  double  pulley  or  windlass 
the  whole  load  which  has  been  piled  crossways  on  the  wagon  can  be  rolled  on 
the  ropes  to  the  platform,  or  the  forward  ring  can  De  attached  to  a  hook,  and 
the  wagon  driven  from  under  the  load. 

On  land  where  there  are  loose  stones  great  care  should  be  taken  that 
none  are  mixed  with  the  stalks.  To  cut  stalks  in  the  field,  the  farmer  must 
study  the  cheapest  way  whether  by  hand  with  corn  knives,  or  with  mow- 
ing machine,  or  with  machine  to  gather  and  bundle,  will  be  a  matter  of  size 
and  circumstances. 

When  we  consider  that  the  whole  increased  crop  is  to  be  cut  into  short 
pieces  in  a  very  brief  period  of  time,  and  when  it  is  at  its  greatest  weight,  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  the  best  cutter  that  can 
be  procured,  one  that  will  cut  |,  also  f  inch— one  that  does  not  mash  the  stalks, 
and  will  not  shake  to  pieces. 

When  using  ensilage  from  the  silo,  it  is  best  to  begin  at  one  end  and  take 
a  vertical  slice  either  from  top  to  bottom  or  from  top  to  centre,  in  which  case 
a  floor  is  to  be  laid  upon  the  lower  level  to  keep  out  the  air.  A  manure  fork 
will  generally  be  used.  A  little  taken  from  the  face  of  the  compact  fodder 
each  day  will  keep  it  from  heating.  It  can  be  raked  down.  Each  day's  sup- 
ply should  be  taken  out  the  previous  day,  and  put  in  a  heap.  Fifteen  to 
thirty-six  hours  of  exposure  makes  it  more  palatable.  I  have  seen  maize  ensi- 
lage that  was  perfectly  sweet  from  Southern  seed,  but  nearly  if  not  quite  all  of 
it  that  has  been  put  up  thus  far  has  been  a  little  sour.  I  presume  the  former 
will  be  preferred,  though  some  say  it  is  just  as  good  when  sour,  and  some  pre- 
fer it  80. 

Much  objection  has  been  made  to  the  method  of  ensilage  by  those  who 
know  nothing  about  it  practically  on  account  of  the  handling  of  so  much  wa- 
ter, which  they  say  is  an  unnecessary  expense.  There  is  a  delicate  analysis 
performed  in  the  animal  stomach,  which  finds  something  valuable  in  the  juices 
that  the  chemist  evaporates,  and  which  value  he  cannot  detect.  It  is  dif- 
ferent from  the  water  in  the  form  of  dew  and  rain,  which  gives  the  farmer  so 
much  labor  in  making  his  hay.  It  is  undoubtedly  nutritive,  and  better  when 
ensilaged. 

No  farmer  who  has  acted  upon  Mr.  Goffart's  advice  so  fully  and  freely 
given  in  his  Treatise,  and  for  which  he  was  awarded  the  Decoration  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor  in  1876,  has  failed,  and  nearly  all  of  these  leading  men  have 
built  larger  silos  after  the  first  experiment.  They  find  it  exceedingly  con- 
venient to  have  hay  to  sell,  if  they  make  any  hay  at  all. 

It  is  a  method  needed  in  every  State  in  the  Union — in  fact,  every  portion 
of  the  globe  where  cattle  are  fed. 

The  ancient  plague  of  grasshoppers  that  sometimes  afflicts  the  West,  also  of 
worms  and  bugs,  can  be  mitigated  by  saving  a  portion  of  the  crop  by  ensilage 
before  they  appear  ; — and.  wherever  tornadoes  are  liable  to  attack  the  farmer, 
his  underground  provision  for  his  cattle  will  be  a  great  source  of  comfort  to 
him,  when  the  clouds  gather,  and  the  lightning  threatens  his  barns. 

Many  farmers  will  have  their  ensilage  sour  in  the  silo  through  delay 
caused  by  the  break  down  of  their  cutter  when  they  have  bought  a  light, 
complicated  machine.     It  is  well  to  have  a  reserve  cutter. 

Some  dairymen  say  that  milch  cows  do  as  well  on  ensilage  when  mixed 
with  about  one  quarter  its  bulk  of  fine  cut  dry  hay  or  straw  as  with  meal  or 
shorts.  Perhaps  the  straw  serves  to  distend  the  stomach  as  cob  meal  does 
when  ground  with  corn.  For  sheep  with  lambs,  sows  and  mares,  ensilage  is 
especially  profitable,  and  for  fatting  sheep.  For  summer  use,  when  the  pas- 
tures are  dried,  ensilaged  June  grass  will  keep  up  the  supply  of  milk  as  noth- 
ing else  can.     American  farmers  should  no  longer  hesitate  to  build  silos. 

J.  B.   BROWN,  Pres't  The  New  York  Plow  Co.,  55  Beekman  St.,  N.  Y. 


September  15 }  1881, 

The  Cycle  Ensilage  Cutter. 

MANUFACTURED    BY 

THE  NEW  YORK  PLOW  COMPANY. 


(Patent  Applied  for.] 

Having  introduced  the  system  of  Ensilage  to  the  farmers  of  the  United  States,  we  now  offer 
then  a  Cutter  made  especially,  and  suitable  in  every  way  for  the  purpose. 

After  much  experience  in  manufacturing  large  cutters,  we  have  found  that  the  principle  of 
this  cutter  is  the  best  fob  Cutting  Gbeen  Crops  foe  Ensilage;  also  for  cutting  Hay,  Straw, 
and  Stalks. 

This  Cutter  will  cut  Green  Maize,  Clover  even  when  wet,  Cow  Pea,  Millet,  &c,  &c,  with- 
out clogging  or  winding  on  the  roller. 

The  System  of  Ensilage,  which  must  become  general  among  farmers,  requires  such  a  ma- 
chine as  this  to  maKe  it  profitable  and  safe,  in  order  that  the  silo  may  be  filled  as  fast  as  two 
feet  per  day  at  least,  to  prevent  heating. 

Since  the  whole  increased  crop  is  to  be  cut  into  short  pieces  in  a  very  brief  period  of  time, 
and  when  it  is  at  its  greatest  weight,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  the 
best  cutter  that  can  be  procured. 

These  machines  combine  great  rapidity  with  strength,  durability  and  simplicity  of  parts, 
and  require  much  less  power  than  any  other  form  of  machine.  They  have  three  knives,  with 
long  drawing  cut,  so  leading  each  other  that  the  cut  is  continuous  and  steady,  and  without  jar,' 
The  length  of  cut  is  easily  changed  to  be  either  §  or  f  inch. 

The  knives  are  adjustable  by  the  simplest  set  screws,  and  are  covered  (cover  not  shown  in 
cut).  With  this  machine  a  fine  cut  (f  in.)  can  be  had  as  cheaply  as  1  inch  with  cutters  made 
on  any  other  principle. 


The  knives  are  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  Throat-piece.  There  is  great  advantage  in 
such  long  draw-cut  knives,  and  especially  when  they  are  dull.  The  fodder  6lips  along  till  it 
comes  to  a  sharp  place,  or  becomes  so  compact  that  it  is  cut,  whereas  ordinary  feed  cutter 
knives  which  chop  off  the  fodder,  being  no  longer  than  the  throat,  often  drag  down  or  pull 
through  the  fodder  uncut  till  it  clogs  the  machine.  The  knives  are  easily  sharpened  with  a 
small  flat  file  or  whet-stone,  without  the  aid  of  a  mechanic. 

There  is  an  aperture  for  dropping  stones  before  reaching  the  rollers,  so  that  there  is  very 
little  danger  of  any  reaching  the  knives.  The  cutting  plate  of  hardened  steel  is  separate  from 
face  plate. 

The  rollers  are  light  and  combed,  so  that  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  wind,  and  they  do  not 
mash  the  stalks. 

For  Ensilage  the  juicy  stalks  should  not  be  bruised  or  mashed,  either  in  cutting  or  tramp- 
ling, more  than  is  avoidable,  because  when  the  juice  escapes  air  enters.  The  knives  and  rollers 
of  the  Cycle  Cutter  leave  the  cut  fodder  in  better  condition  than  the  short,  stubby  knives  and 
mashing  rollers  of  cutters  not  made  with  this  intention;  most  of  the  cutters  previously  in- 
vented having  been  designed  to  mash  the  stalks  as  much  as  possible. 

Stop  levers  are  on  both  sides  of  the  cutter,  by  which  the  feed  rolls  can  be  instantly  stopped. 
The  worm  driving  gear  is  peculiarly  simple  and  durable,  and  it  is  apparently  impossible  that 
any  break  down  can  occur  while  a  silo  is  being  filled.  They  have  tight  and  loose  pulleys  and 
crank.  The  spiral  6pring6  ensure  uniform  pressure  better  than  weights  or  other  form  of 
spring,  and  the  feed  rollers  are  not  confined  to  parallel  opening. 

SIZES- 

(We  shall  make  smaller  and  larger  sizes  if  demand  requires). 

Diam  of  Wheel.    Size  <rf  Month.  *£gffift-'     .rice.        Extra  Knive,         W-j-    Rft£  Weight. 

24  Inches.        8  x  3     Inches.        2  Tons.              S5C>      $2.60  Each.         lO  in.  4  in.      400  lbs. 

36        "              12x5)4        "              4      "                      GO         300  "            15      "  "         650     " 

42        "             14x5}4       "             «      "                  ia5         3.50  •'           15      "  "        95©    " 

48        "             16x6            "           10      "                   175          4.00  "            21      "  "      HOO     " 

Knife  Wheels,  complete 36  in.  $20.00  42  in.  $25.00  48  in.  $30.00 

Throat  Piece,  with  steel "              4.50  "             5.00  "             5.00 

Worm   and   Worm  Gear "                4. SO  "              5.00  5.00 

Double  Gear   Wheels large        "               2  7  a  "              2.75  4.50 

"          "            "       Small       •'                2.00  "              2  OO  3  OO 

With  these  extras,  purchasers  would  have  practically  a  reserve  machine. 

POWER  REQUIRED. 

With  two-horse  power  the  36  inch  and  42  inch  sizes  can  be  speeded  to  250  to  300,  at 
which  speed  they  will  feed  and  cut  with  great  rapidity.  It  is  better  to  run  these  sizes  fast 
than  to  run  the  48  inch  slow.  A  two-horse  power  in  good  order  will  run  the  48  inch  very  well, 
but  it  requires  a  four-horse  eDgine  to  run  it  at  a  speed  of  300  to  3o0.  At  this  speed  it  will 
keep  two  or  three  men  very  busy  to  supply  it.  This  size  will  be  wanted  most  of  all  when 
farmers  learn,  as  they  will,  that  they  must  prepare  to  feed  principally  green  crops.  The 
greater  speed  reduces  the  cost  very  materially.  Lazy  workmen  do  not  approve  of  these 
cutters. 

With  350  revolutions,  the  largest  size  Cycle  Cutter  will  cut  from  fifty  thousand  to 
one  hundred  thousand  cubic  inches  of  ensilage  per  minute,  according  to  the  length 
cut,  |  or  £  inch. 

But  the  important  thing  about  any  cutter  is  the  freedom  from  danger  of  breakdown.  In 
this  respect  there  is  no  comparison  between  this  principle  and  others  where  gears  are  used, 
and  small  cylinder  heads  with  two  or  three  bolts  to  each  knife  without  provision  for  shedding 


stones.  In  such  cutters  a  stone  is  a  great  disaster,  as  it  not  only  breaks  the  knife,  but  often 
destroys  the  whole  cylinder  of  knives  and  the  mouth-piece.  Slipping  fly  wheels,  which  are 
relied  upon  in  some  machines,  are  humbugs,  because  the  damage  is  done  to  cutting  parts  be- 
fore the  effect  of  the  blow  reaches  the  wheel,  as  all  who  have  seen  experiments  in  natural  phil- 
osophy have  learned.  The  duplicates  and  repairs  that  are  necessary  to  have  on  hand  can  be 
arranged  in  the  Cycle  Cutter  by  any  farmer,  which  is  not  the  case  in  complicated  machines. 
The  knives  are  very  easily  adjusted  and  kept  in  order,  and  every  part  is  simple  and  accessible. 

Many  farmers  will  have  their  ensilage  sour  in  the  silo  through  delay  caused  by  the  break 
down  of  their  cutter  when,  through  inexperience,  they  have  bought  a  light,  complicated  ma- 
chine for  the  purpose. 

The  two  small  sizes  can  be  run  by  one  horse.  The  24  inch  has  one  pulley,  and  a  crank 
convenient  to  side  of  feeding  box  for  cutting  by  hand.  The  other  sizes  have  tight  and  loose 
pulley,  the  latter  being  convenient  in  case  engine  is  used. 

The  box  is  built  like  a  table,  with  one  side  raised.  An  annex  box,  with  stone  trap,  can  be 
easily  attached. 

When  cutting  for  ensilage  it  is  more  expeditious  to  place  the  cutter  on  a  platform  above 
the  top  of  silo,  including  side  boards  or  curb,  and  to  shute  the  cut  fodder  into  it.  The 
power  can  be  easily  transmitted  by  belt,  and  the  whole  stalks  can  be  raised  by  the  team  from 
the  wagon  or  cart  direct  to  the  cutter  platform  without  handling. 

Elevators  or  Carriers  can  be  attached  at  any  time  to  these  cutters.  "We  build  them 
indestructable  and  positive,  so  that  they  will  not  wear  nor  give  any  trouble.  They  rise 
at  any  angle,  from  front  or  from  right  side  of  machine  (standing  behind).  With  this 
apparatus  the  cut-feed  can  be  deposited  without  labor  in  any  part  of  the  silo  or  silos. 

Price  of  Elevator,  $2.00  per  foot. 

From  J.  Y.  Smith,  Doylestmcn,  Pa. 

"  I  received  the  (48  in.)  Cycle  Cutter,  and  put  it  to  work,  and  found  it  to  work  splendidly. 

I  ran  the  cutter  with  one-horse  tread  power;  it  cuts  stalks  very  fast.  The  horse,  after 
running  three  hours,  was  not  as  warm  as  when  running  a  small-cylinder  cutter  to  cut  twenty 
bundles  of  stalks.  A  two-horse  tread  power  will  run  it  finely.  "When  running  about  350  rev- 
olutions per  minute,  and  cutting  all  the  horse  could  drive,  I  could  not  feel  the  slightest  jar  on 
the  barn  floor;  so  you  may  know  how  steady  it  runs."  I  had  the  cutter  tried  on  clover,  which 
was  very  wet;  it  cut  it  as  fast  as  it  could  be  fed,  and  the  rollers  do  not  clog  ;  I  do  not  think 
you  can  feed  any  kind  of  feed  that  will  clog  it. 

References  to  Francis  Morris,  Oakland,  Md.— J.  Gregory  Smith,  St.  Albans,  Vt—  R.  M. 
Hoe.N.Y.— C.  W.  Mills,  Pompton,  N.  J.— Samuel  Remington,  Ilion,  N  .Y.— Edward  H.  Knight, 
Mechanical  Engineer,  and  many  others. 

Treatise  on  ensilage  free. 

Goffart's  work  translated  by  J.  B.  Brown,  30  cts. 

MACHINE  BELTING. 

Rubber.  Oak  Leather. 

2  Inches.  lO  cts.  per  ft.  17    cts  per  ft. 
2K                                                      11          »           "  22        " 

3  16  "  "  27        " 
3%                                                      IS          "            "  -•*-'        " 

4  22         •  '•  36        " 

We  also  supply  STEAM   ENGINES   and   BOILERS,  both  new  and  second-hand. 


THE   REVOLVER  DOUBLE  PLOW. 

This  plow  is  meeting  with  great  success,  not  only  on  account  of  its  convenience  in  plowing 
on  side  hills,  but  because  it  enables  the  farmer  on  level  land  to  commence  at  one  side  of 
a  field  and  work  furrow  after  furrow  clear  across  it,  avoiding  dead  furrows,  and  keeping 
the  sides  and  corners  of  field  clear. 

With  this  plow  a  farmer  can  finish  and  plant  a  portion  of  his  field  without  waiting  to  plow  it 
all.  In  turning  about  tbe  team,  step  only  on  the  unplowed  ground,  and  though  the  plow  is  a  little 
heavier  than  a  single  plow,  it  revolves  so  easily  that  the  labor  is  not  as  great  in  turning  as  with 
a  single  plow.  The  beam  to  which  these  plows  are  attached  revolves  in  the  Swivel-Box  or 
collar,  and  is  fastened  securely  by  a  lever,  tbe  plows  being  latched.  The  shoe 
regulates  the  depth.  Jointers  or  Skim  plows  which  are  so  desirable  in  plowing  sod,  are 
attached  as  shown  in  cut,  or,  if  pref  ered,  steel  coulters  will  be  substituted,  as  they  fit  in  the  same 
holder.  The  draft  is  very  little  if  any  heavier  than  the  single  plows,  as  increased  weight  makes 
it  more  steady  and  the  lines  of  the  plow  mould  are  the  best  and  the  easiest  for  general  purpose, 
that  our  long  experience  (55  years)  in  plow  making  teaches  us. 

We  have  known  for  years  that  the  ordinary  Swivel  plow,  using  both  sides  of  a  single  mold, 
could  not  do  satisfactory  work  on  level  land,  but  here  is  a  plow  that  will  do  best  kind  of  work, 
without  regard  to  shape  of  field  and  requiring  no  calculation. 

We  make  them  with  both  cast  and  steel  molds.  On  all  we  use  a  cast  share  with  tool  steel 
point,  which  can  be  drawn  and  tempered  by  any  blacksmith,  and  which  makes  a  strong, 
and  durable  adjustable  point,  and  which  is  the  safest  and  most  economical  for  farmers 
to  use  on  any  plow. 


Price  of  Plow,  with  Cast  Iron  Molds,. 

Steel 

Extra  Sha  res  

Extra.  Land.     .7!> 


Extra  Cast  Molds.     $1.50 


$20. OO 

$35.00 

Each         .80 

Extra  Steel  Mold.     $2  HO 


Manufactured  under  HARTMAN'S  PATENTS, 

By   THE  NEW   YORK   PLOW  CO., 

55  Beekman  St.,  N.Y. 


POWERS. 


WARREN   LEVER  HORSE  POWER. 

The  simplest  and  safest  method  of  working  one  or  two  horses— Cheap  and  not  likely  to  get 
out  of  order.  Can  be  placed  in  any  position  and  moved  about  as  desired.  It  is  covered  from 
dust  and  dirt.  The  manner  of  attaching  the  horse  to  the  Sweep  saves  one-quarter  to 
one-third  of  the  strength  of  the  horse,  which  is  lost  in  other  lever  powers,  by  the  line  of  draft 
not  being  in  the  right  direction.  All  who  have  used  it  for  cutting  ensilage,  also  for  shelling  corn 
grinding  tools,  grinding  apples,  sawing  wood  or  pumping  water,  are  pleased  with  it. 

We  will  take  back  and  refund  the  money  to  all  purchasers  that  for  any  reason  regret  their 
purchase  after  trial. 

Weight  about  300  lbs.  Height,  20  inches.  Diam  18  inches.  Length  of  Sweep,  adjustable. 
6  7  or  8  feet.  One  revolution  of  horse  makes  28  revolutions  of  band  wheel.  Horse  makes  5 
to  7  revolutions  per  minute.  Diameter  of  Band  wheel  24  inches  by  U  face.  The  speed  can 
be  doubled  with  the  Jack. 

Price  Que  Horse  Poiver,  Complete, $50.00 

"        Extra  Sweep  to  inahe  complete  2  Horse  Power .    ...       6.00 

"        Jack  to  double  speed S.OO 

Manufactured  by  THE  NEW   YORK  PLOW  CO. 

55  Beekman  St.,  N.  Y. 


SMITH  BROiPJilLi 

Champion  Horse  Powers. 

1  Horse,  $11.7  00.  2  Horse,  $160  00.  3  Horse,  $200  OO. 

Steel  Rods.  Lags,  strong  and  durable.  Price  includes  30  feet  3  inch  belt  for  1  horse  ;  40 
feet  3§  inch  belt  for  2  horse;  also  governor,  extra  wheels,  segments,  blocks,  etc.;  for  2  horse, 
extra  band  wheel.  Band  wheel  is  54  inches  in  diameter,  and  makes  90  Revolutions  per  min- 
ute at  ordinary  walk. 

POTATO    DIGGER. 

We  have  at  last  found  the  right  machine  for  this  purpose,  and  secured  the  right  to  manufac- 
ture. It  turns  all  the  potatoes  out  without  any  injury,  and  so  leaves  them,  that  they  can  be 
picked  up  without  loss. 

Price $12.00 

Cut  in  next  Circular. 

SMOOTHING     HARROW, 

We  manufacture  the  best  slanting  tooth  harrow  for  this  purpose.  Adjustable  teeth.  Slides 
on  back  to  facilitate  transportation. 

Price  lO  ft.  2  Horse $24.00 

5"  1        " 13.00 

PULVERIZING     HARROW. 

For  breaking  up  all  clods  and  sods  .  Price,  $25.00 


ADAMANT  PLOWS, 


Repairs  for  all  plows. 
Plows  for  all  purposes. 

CULTIVATORS,   CIDER-MILLS,    Presses     and  Screws,    Corn   and   Cob   Mills,    Corn 
Planters,  Corn  Shehers. 

Send  for  Special  Catalogue  of  any  implement  wanted. 


S  IE  ED  . 


FAR   SOUTH   SEED   CORN   suitable   for   Ensilage,    (sweeter  than     Northern,)     large 
growth,  will  not  ripen  seed  in  Northern  States. 

Price  single  bushel .  . . $2. SO 

Larger  Quantities 2.00 

NO  CHARGE  FOR  BAGS  OR  SHIPPING. 

Southern  Cow  Peas,  best  qualities  for  Ensilage. 

THE    NEW    YORK    PLOW    CO., 

55  Beekmaii  Street,  New  York. 


Excelsior  Junior  Cider  Mill,  $22.50. 

Same  Grinder  as  Union  Mill,  with  smaller  Press. 
These  Mills  are  also  excellent  Wine  Mills. 


Wrought  Iron  Screws. 

No.   1. 

Diameter,  If  in.  Length,  24  in. 

$3.00. 

No.  2. 

Diameter,  If  in.  Length,  30  in. 

$6.00. 


Judges'  Report  at  Centennial  Ezhibition  on  Union  Cider  and  Wine  Mill. 

' '  Recommended  for  Award  for  the  following  reasons,  viz : 

' '  For  ingenious  construction  and  efficiency  of  operation ;  the  mill  comprises  a  revolving  cylinder, 
"with  projecting  ribs,  with  a  reciprocating  jaw  or  crusher,  furnished  with  teeth,  which  is  worked  from 
' '  an  eccentric  on  the  main  shaft ;  a  balance  wheel  steadies  the  motion,  and  reduces  the  labor  of  grind- 
ing, which  is  remarkably  easy ;  the  press  is  worked  by  a  strong  screw,  and  the  juice  is  extracted 
' '  rapidly  and  efficiently. " 

The  curb  is  eighteen 
inches  by  three  feet 
inside,  and  will  hold 
about  pomace  sufficient 
for  a  "barrel  of  Cider  at 
Cnce.  It  is  so  made 
that  it  can  easily  be 
taken  apart  to  empty 
the  pomace  after  it  is 
pressed.-  It  is  strong 
and  durable,  and  large 
producers  of  Cider  and 
Wine  will  find  it  a 
Press  they  have  long 
desired,  and  which  we 
think  will  fully  meet 
their  wants  and  expecta- 
tions. 

Those  who  have  used 
this  Press  assure  us 
that  they  can  average 
fifteen  barrels  cf  Cider 
per  day  with  it,  but  of 
course  this  depends  on 
the  quality  of  the  ap. 
pies  and  pomace.  ^ 

Weight  400  pounds. 


No.  4  Double  Press,  $35. 


Cider  Mills,  Presses,  Screws,  Etc. 

MANUFACTURED  BY 

THE    NEW    YORK    PLOW    CO. 

55  BEEKMAN  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 

«-.|«  unpleasantness  from  Iron  Mills  can  be  prevented  by  thoroughly  rinsing  them  with  water 
after  using,  thus  diluting  the  acid.     Never  use  old  cider  barrels  or  grating  mills  if  you  want  sweet  cnkr. 


Union  Cider  Mill,  $30. 

This  Mill  combines  an  easy  running  Grinder  with 
a  Large  Press  which  holds  the  pomace  of  three 
bushels  of  apples.  It  is  constructed  with  a  Ribbed 
Cylinder  and  a  Crusher,  which  both  crushes  and 
grinds  the  fruit,  making  a  soft  pomace  similar  to  a 
wet  sponge,  and  depriving  it  of  all  receptacles  that 
can  contain  any  of  the  juice.  The  Vibrating  Crush- 
er falls  back  and  enables  momentum  of  balance 
wheel  to  increase  half  the  time,  which  reduces  the 
labor,  instead  of,  as  in  other  mills,  being  a  continual 
"squeezing: grind,"  which  has  made  apple  grinding 
such  hard  work. 

This  Mill  was  adjudged  to  be  the  best  at  the  Cen- 
tennial Exhibition,  and  was  awarded  diploma  and 
medal.  (See  Judges'  Keport,  next  page.) 

The  average  product  of  this  Mill  is  five  barrels  a 
day.  The  Screw  is  stout  and  does  not  tilt  in  press- 
ing. The  apples  being  crushed  and  not  grated,  the 
pomace  is  soft  and  adhesive,  hence,  strains  out  readily, 
leaving  t  lie  Juice  clear.  Cider  so  made  keeps  sweet 
longer  than  When  made  by  grating  mills. 

Union  Grinder,  without.  Press $16.00 

•■     on  legs   '•     •'     - 20.00 


Hutchinson's  Family  Mill. 

No-  0,  $15-00.  No-  1,  $18-00. 

The  No.  1  MiiJ  can  easily  grind  from  eight 
to  ten  bushels  of  Apples,  and  from  ten  to  twelve 
bushels  of  Or  apes,  Currants,  etc.,  per  hour, 
The  iron  work  is  beeswaxed  to  prevent  rust, 
which  can  be  replaced  when  worn.  The  Curb 
n.r  Press)  will  contain  the  pomace  of  one  and  a 
half  bushels  of  Apples.  One  man  can  make  with 
ii  from  two  to  three  ban-els  of  Cider,  or  from 
■  u  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  gallons 
of  Wine  per  day,  while  it  is  always  ready  to 
limke  a  pitcher  or  bucket  of  Cider  in  a  few 
minutes.    Weight  150  lbs. 

The  grinder  of  No.  0  is  same  size  as  No.  ] . 
imt  the-  curb  is  smaller. 


No.  1  Grinder,  $8 

Same  as  used  on  Family  Mill  U  &  1. 


